PORTUGAL

A country of contrasts

A relatively small territory, Portugal has an extraordinary landscape diversity, which ranges from mountainous to wide plain areas and a coastline of magnificent beaches. It also reflects a mosaic of rich culture and traditions that invite you to discover in seven tourism areas.

Lisbon, the capital, is one of the most beautiful and exciting European cities, with its unmatched light, unique in its nuances and reflections on the Tagus, enwrapping streets and squares, monuments and trams. If some get bewitched by the charm of its historical past, others surrender to the more cosmopolitan, creative and alternative features of a city that is definitely trendy. A few kilometers around it, visitors have their hands full: the romantic town of Sintra, Cascais-Estoril sea axis, the sandy beaches of Costa da Caparica or the majestic Mafra Convent, are compulsory items on the visitors' agenda.

Oporto, the country's second city, has a fascination of its own. Evidencing a mixture of melancholy and energy, this city of bridges and granite overlooking the river Douro is full of soul and charisma. The mother city for many artists, poets and writers, Oporto manages perfectly the balance between tradition and modernity. While preserving ancient customs and nourishing a genuine neighborhood spirit, the city asserts itself as a leading metropolis, excelling in creative areas such as architecture, fashion and music.

Besides the two main cities, there are several mid-sized cities with a strong personality, as Braga, city of archbishops, Aveiro, crossed by the channels of the lagoon, Coimbra, with its students and romantic legends, or Évora, heritage city by UNESCO. Then, getting out of the cities, there is plenty to discover, live and feel. There are the traditions of the most green Minho; the rocks and waters of Trás-os-Montes; the vigorous nature of Gerês and Estrela Mountain; the breathtaking beauty of the Douro; the immensity of Alentejo, its endless plains and the wild coast; the beaches and the many pleasures of the Algarve region where it is summer all year round; and the Atlantic havens of Madeira and the Azores archipelagos.